cleaning grease from hubs

[Phil Waterman]

Hi

While cleaning the grease out of what are basically wheel hubs is a nasty job, look at the issue of cleaning the grease out of the front ball drive units of CMPs packed with grease and gear oil is even nastier. As these units according to the book should be repacked every 5000 miles (who does that) are more of a challenge.

I've tried all the methods suggested and they all work but all are nasty, here are a couple of others, steam cleaning fast and but blows the old grease all over the place. Standing the whole thing in a 15 gallon drum of gasoline not bad but smokey the bear shows up as soon as you dispose of the gas grease combination by lighting it off, to much smoke.

Hot tank, this one works good as setting the whole ball unit in a tank of 180 degree degreaser works pretty good. Engine rebuild shops generally have these units for cleaning engines before they start rebuilding. Last time I went this route think it cost me $25 + a $5 dollar charge to dispose of the grease they skim of the tank.

Another approach that I use is a small hot water heater in my shop which I kick the thermostat up to about 140 F works pretty good. I actually use the water system in my C60S BEAUTY which provides hot water for the shower. At the end of the camping season I turn the thermostat on the 2.5 gallon instant hot heater up to 140 F then through a hose and spray head I have really hot water at about 2 gallons a minute which cuts through grease well.

I suspect that the grease in your Carrier is that really nasty dried out time of wheel bearing grease, in which case to really get it clean getting the unit warm is going to make all the difference in the world to getting it clean. Question are you leaving the bearing races you plan to use in the hubs while they are being sand blasted? If so be sure to cover them well with several layers of duct tape. One quick blast on a bearing race from a sand blasting nozzle and you will need to replace the bearings.

Cheers Phil

[andrew honychurch]

Thanks Richard and Phil. I take it you mean kitchen type gloves Richard, which I think will work better. The problem is once you get the grease on the gloves you cant get it off but at least they wont break!

Phil some great ideas here as well. Actually the grease is not the really hard stuff but there is just loads of it. Dont worry about the bearings, as i opted to take this out with the seals etc. In fact the insides of the wheels are really not bad but I wanted to sand blast and could not cover up the hubs satisfactorily enough so took the strip down option.

I have been using paraffin ( kerosene?) as a solvent but it doesnt really dissolve the grease that well, so was wondering about petrol or something else. We have a product in the UK called GUNK which then has to be washed with water which I am not so keen on as water and bare metal rusts.

I intend on taking out the greasers and cleaning the access hole before blasting. Once done it will all get blown out with the air gun before reassembly. I would not mind but on the T16 Carrier there are 11 wheels hubs to do! thx guys

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi all - I do not believe what I have read here. Obtain a shallow container large enough to accomodate the wheel hubs. Pour petrol into the container and work it around the grease with a stiff paint brush. Dry off with your compressor air gun. Use remaining petrol to wash the grease off your hands.

Get a little dirt on your hands

Bob

[Lynn Eades]

No bloody wonder you guys have big fires over there. Kero is much better stuff. its not so......Sudden Death!! It doesnt dry off and leave crap behind, and you can wash it off with water, and dry it off, and it wont go rusty straight away either.
Andrew the satisfaction comes at a price.

[andrew honychurch]

Hey Bob.....I know what you are thinking, whats he on about getting his hands dirty! As these are complete rubberised road wheels for the bren carrier it would not be advisable to drop the whole thing in a tin of anything solvent as it would attack the rubber. Lynn, I think I had better stick with the parafin then! It leaves a better finish afterwards and should protect the metal. thx

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi Andrew - your first post said hubs not road wheels so I took that to mean the rear hubs holding the sprockets. The amount of immersion time that the wheels would be in the petrol would not effect the rubber. I re-rubber the road wheels and have to use a flame torch to remove the old rubber. The rubber is also adhered to a substance called ebonite that forms the bond between the rubber and the metal of the rims. This is all explained in my thread on wheel re-rubbering. If you are still worried about the petrol/rubber thing, sit the wheels on top of a smaller container holding petrol, or as Lynn suggests, kerosine, and still use a stiff brush to wash the grease away with your choice of the two solvents.

Hey Lynn - I agree kero is a good solvent but kero to petrol is like diet beer to real beer or decafe coffee to real coffee. Live a little dangerously.

Bob

[andrew honychurch]

well guys thanks for all the advice. I have doneit now. Just hit the job hard this morning, scooped out all the grease, washed with kerosene and then sprayed water soluble solvent and washed off with the jet wash. Filfthy job but a great day to do it as its really warm here and there is a good sun to help dry them out. Should be ready for the blaster now. Now i have got to get myself clean! cheers Andrew